THE BOLOGNESE STORY

First told at a Facebook conference in Singapore, Karen has now delivered this powerful story on stage in San Francisco, Sydney and New Zealand to industry leaders.

The Bolognese Story has now been shared and used internally by advertising agencies and corporate companies looking to make a positive change, with many hanging the 'Get Your Heart Home For Bolognese' mantra poster on their walls.

Karen openly shares the most important decision she ever made with the hope of it continuing to be catalyst for change.

Rather than tell first-year university students to take every opportunity that comes their way we showed them what could happen if they did – introducing Fortune Favours The Brave.

All starting with a small ad pinned to a university noticeboard asking for a student with an original music track to partner up with another student making his first music video. When young musician Sam Verlinden answered the ad he discovered it was no student music video shoot. He unexpectedly walks into a professional music video shoot with world famous choreographer Parris Goebel, most recently behind all the music videos on Justin Bieber's 'Purpose' album.

With the release of Sam's surprise, then his original track as a world-class music video, his career takes off. All happening in real-time, through social media and newsrooms, watched and cheered on by thousands of other music-loving students.

UNEXPECTEDLY HOMELESS

The Salvation Army – Media hijack campaign

The Unexpected Homeless. The Salvation Army launched a series of media hijacks detouring New Zealanders from expected homes. Partnering with the country’s biggest news site, the most iconic symbol for home was interrupted. A home button takeover, suddenly diverting people inside the real stories of living in cars, garages and couch surfing.

The biggest property website, Trade Me, and one of Auckland’s largest real estate papers followed, leading people to an unexpected view into a family’s homeless situation.

The campaign message reached over a quarter of the population, exceeded donations goals and traffic to The Salvation Army’s website hit a record high.

PAGO

The Currency Takeover

PAGO - THE CURRENCY TAKEOVER –

Experimental Media Magic.

Winner of three Gold Lions and a Creativity Grand Prix at Cannes for the launch of ASB's Pago, mobile digital pay service. An integrated campaign with three public engagement executions.

Turning bank notes into mini billboards by placing a sticker over Sir Edmund Hillary to make him appear pixelated, these notes were then circulated into the NZ currency. Each sticker could be easily peeled off to reveal information about the new service.

Using 1250 colour-coded books of post it notes, over 30,000 individual notes to make a digital, pixellated replica of an NZ$5 note. On closer inspection, each note features a call to action, to visit pago.co.nz to activate a digital wallet.

Turning bus stops into ATMs for mobile phones during a radio campaign. Announcements were made when a selected adshel was 'live', giving people a limited time to receive a payment text to their phone if they were standing in close proximity.

Be the ball

Adidas

ADIDAS – Be the ball – Send people flying at 170km/h.

Public activation/Consumer promotion/Earned media

Gold Promo Lion, Gold Outdoor Lion, Grand Clio - Best in Show for Innovative Media, Gold Clio, Grande Gold Axis, Silver Pencil - D&AD, Silver ADFEST, Silver AWARD, Bronze - New York One Show Pencil.To create impact for the launch of the World Cup match ball and a true 'Impossible is Nothing' experience by having the people of New Zealand be part of the World's largest sporting event.

An existing reverse bungee site was transformed into the new Adidas match ball. The 2.5m high ball sat in front of the largest billboard site in the country, featuring Liverpool Captain and England striker Steven Gerrard. This looked like Gerrard was striking the ball.

Match commentary was broadcast by loudspeakers as participants were strapped inside the ball. Then, just as Gerrard boots it, the reverse bungee was blasted into the air at over 170km/h.

The screaming occupants got to experience what it's like to 'Be the Ball'. Then walk away with an 'in-ball' DVD recording.

#CATWALK TO SIDEWALK –

#CATWALK TO SIDEWALK – Power of the people – Under 20k social activation.

Twitter/Live Event/Social Influencers.

How do you make a VIP media fashion show public? Easy, you make the public a part of the show – that's what we did to launch the Number One Shoes Autumn Collection.

From catwalk to sidewalk, top fashion models stepped straight off the runway onto one of Auckland City's busiest streets to hand out every pair of shoes used in the show - breaking the usual traditional of having to wait months to get their hands on the new season.

An adshel launched two weeks prior to the show, revealing to the public where to stand to get new season sample shoes, public started to line up from 9.30am and by 12pm the hype and queue of fans dominated downtown Auckland.

ROAD SIGNS

Hacking for good

ROAD SIGNS

Personal Project - Complimentary Road signs – Hacking for good.

Exhibited at Art in the Dark, Auckland, NZ under artist name – Bright Calm City.

Our urban environments can be quite out of balance with messages that involve the words: 'STOP','DON'T','SLOW','DANGER', 'NO', 'PROHIBITED', 'CLOSED'. This installation changed the way road signs communicate, broadcasting human compliments to drivers travelling the right speed.

Any drivers who were detected by the built in radar travelling at the right speed received the message 'You Rock', anyone going over the speed limit received the message 'Chill Baby Chill'.

NICE TO MEET YOU

Removing the strange from stranger

NICE TO MEET YOU

Personal Project – Nice to meet you – removing the strange from stranger

Exhibited at SPLORE, Auckland, New Zealand. A 7-meter-long interactive wall at New Zealand’s biggest arts and music festival. The wall invited people walking on each side to reach through and say hello to someone new. Strengthening the festival community through every connection made.

Vibrant and colourful by day and glowing in the dark at night, the wall interacted with thousands and became an iconic social media image by festival goers.

PERSONAL WRITING

Instagram & Facebook

PERSONAL WRITING

Personal Project – Poetry – Instagram & Facebook

Bright Calm City – my ongoing poetry, writing and art installation voice through social media. It’s where I connect weekly, experiment and engage. I’ve exhibited night poetry trails using a series of light boxes at Art in the Dark festival in Auckland. I also exhibit annually at SPLORE, New Zealand’s biggest music and art festival.